DUBAI: A soldier, who allegedly invited his girlfriend for supper, drove her to a desert and abused her, survived a three-year-jail term on Wednesday following a judicial pardon.

The Arab man, 22, allegedly punched the unemployed Ethiopian woman, 22, and threatened to slaughter her and dump her body in the desert if she continued resisting or refused to keep quiet.

“I was in a relationship with her. It was not the first time I slept with her,” he explained at the Dubai Criminal Court and added that “it was upon her consent.” The court jailed him for three years.

His countryman -an inspector, 20- allegedly tried to abuse too her but made up his mind when she questioned him if it would be good to happen to his mother or sister. The court acquitted him.

At the Appeals Court on Jul.26 the soldier’s lawyer argued, “He contacted her and they met at night. The act was consensual. The medical report showed there was no trace to indicate the use force.”

The lawyer begged the Appeals Court to suffice with the period the soldier had spent in detention. The court rejected the plea because it was entered after the expiry of the legal deadline.

During an Appeals Court retrial on Nov.22 the soldier argued that she was his girlfriend for a long period and he had been with her for more than 20 times upon her consent.

“Why would I finally decide abuse her?” he asked and contended that the woman framed him after a misunderstanding that followed the final incident. He also denied having beaten her.

He revealed he had been in detention for a year. His lawyer reiterated his request to the court to suffice with the period spent in detention. He walked free after winning a judicial pardon on Wednesday.